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kibberbl's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
alli_the_bookaholic13's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
luna_with_love's review against another edition
5.0
I had so much fun reading this duology! We love a fantasy with some good old fashioned anti-fascist messaging and burning unjust systems to the ground. Also body positive trans rep! I’ll miss this world but Im happy with this ending and this story.
vctoriaa's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
mappyboi431's review against another edition
Honestly forgot the plot of the original and this one didn’t really grab me, and my hold lapsed multiple times. Want to make space in my reading queue for more books.
solly's review against another edition
5.0
Ah, damn. I liked this one more than the first one, and I'd already enjoyed the first one a lot.
I'm really glad there's a YA fantasy that explores the way sometimes taking down one person or one institution isn't enough, sometimes systems are broken beyond repair, and you gotta try to fix it anyway. I liked that it didn't shy away from righteous (and less righteous sometimes, because Trauma amiright Wyatt) anger, and trauma, and dark stuff all the while staying really compassionate to its messy characters.
I loved that we got more exploration of the (queer)platonic relationship between Wyatt and Briar, and that it's portrayed as just as important as Wyatt's romantic relationship with Emyr. All the rep in this book is really cool anyway, the trans rep hut especially close to home at times lol.
It was just a great time, and I know I feel like I'm slowly growing out of YA, but not in a way that I want to stop reading it. It's more like instead of going "oh damn I NEEDED this book right now" this takes a backseat to "Oh I can see myself reccing this to students, and I can see them getting SO MUCH from this book" and this one is really one of these, yknow?
I'm really glad there's a YA fantasy that explores the way sometimes taking down one person or one institution isn't enough, sometimes systems are broken beyond repair, and you gotta try to fix it anyway. I liked that it didn't shy away from righteous (and less righteous sometimes, because Trauma amiright Wyatt) anger, and trauma, and dark stuff all the while staying really compassionate to its messy characters.
I loved that we got more exploration of the (queer)platonic relationship between Wyatt and Briar, and that it's portrayed as just as important as Wyatt's romantic relationship with Emyr. All the rep in this book is really cool anyway, the trans rep hut especially close to home at times lol.
It was just a great time, and I know I feel like I'm slowly growing out of YA, but not in a way that I want to stop reading it. It's more like instead of going "oh damn I NEEDED this book right now" this takes a backseat to "Oh I can see myself reccing this to students, and I can see them getting SO MUCH from this book" and this one is really one of these, yknow?
sunflowerfoxglove's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
withwings's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
bookshelfmonkey's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Oh hell yeah the gays are fucking shit up.
I wasn't sure if it would be possible to fit in the massive expansion of worldbuilding that was implied in book 1 in just one more (relatively short) book, but apparently it was, and it was done really well. In typical duology fashion, we started right in the middle of things, and it never really slowed down. There was new information coming from every possible direction and so many plot twists (and just developments that I didn't see coming) but they were all presented in such a way that I could follow along and was never so confused that it stopped being fun to read. Then there was a whole final battle, which I didn't expect-- at least, not on the scale that we got it-- but I was definitely a fan. I love battles, and they're always a great way to end a book.
The characters continued to be good. These are some of the most teenage teenagers that I've read in YA (this is a good thing): they were messy and figuring things out and not great at communicating all the time but not so much that it was just there to frustrate the reader and complicate things unnecessary. Although the particular circumstances of the book are likely ones that nobody has ever actually experienced, it perfectly captured the experience of just trying to grow up and figure yourself and your relationships out while the entire world is actively trying to tear itself and you apart, which is, unfortunately, quite relatable. We also got gay villains, which was cool, as well as many, many queer characters on the protagonists' side.
I wasn't sure if it would be possible to fit in the massive expansion of worldbuilding that was implied in book 1 in just one more (relatively short) book, but apparently it was, and it was done really well. In typical duology fashion, we started right in the middle of things, and it never really slowed down. There was new information coming from every possible direction and so many plot twists (and just developments that I didn't see coming) but they were all presented in such a way that I could follow along and was never so confused that it stopped being fun to read. Then there was a whole final battle, which I didn't expect-- at least, not on the scale that we got it-- but I was definitely a fan. I love battles, and they're always a great way to end a book.
The characters continued to be good. These are some of the most teenage teenagers that I've read in YA (this is a good thing): they were messy and figuring things out and not great at communicating all the time but not so much that it was just there to frustrate the reader and complicate things unnecessary. Although the particular circumstances of the book are likely ones that nobody has ever actually experienced, it perfectly captured the experience of just trying to grow up and figure yourself and your relationships out while the entire world is actively trying to tear itself and you apart, which is, unfortunately, quite relatable. We also got gay villains, which was cool, as well as many, many queer characters on the protagonists' side.